JACKRABBITS CLOSE REGULAR SEASON AT NDSU

Thursday, May 18

Fargo, N.D.

6:30 p.m.

South Dakota State University

North Dakota State

Photo by: SDSU Athletics

5/17/2023 6:17:00 PM | Baseball

GAMES 46-48: South Dakota State (21-24, 12-9 Summit) at North Dakota State (20-27, 14-6)

When	Thursday-Saturday, May 18-20 6:30 p.m Thursday \| 6:30 p.m. Friday \| 1 p.m. Saturday
Where	Newman Outdoor Field \| Fargo, North Dakota
TV	WDAY Xtra \| GoBison.com/watch
Radio	KJJQ 910 AM \| GoJacks.com/watch
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| North Dakota State \| The Summit League
Social Media	Twitter \| Instagram \| #RAB5

The South Dakota State baseball team completes the 2023 regular season this weekend with a three-game series at rival North Dakota State.

Games Thursday and Friday are slated for 6:30 p.m. starts at Newman Outdoor Field in Fargo, North Dakota, with first pitch for Saturday's series finale set for 1 p.m. Local radio coverage of all three games will be available on KJJQ 910 AM with video streaming of the series provided by WDAY Xtra.

SDSU enters the series with a 21-24 overall record, including a 12-9 mark in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits currently stand third in the league regular season race, but would move into the second spot with a sweep of the three-game set. SDSU clinched a spot in next week's four-team Summit League Baseball Championship by winning two of three games in a weekend series against Northern Colorado. The Jackrabbits opened the current week with a 9-6 loss at Minnesota on Tuesday.

North Dakota State, meanwhile, comes into the weekend with a 20-27 overall record and a second-place mark of 14-6 in The Summit League. The Bison split last weekend against Omaha in a series that was reduced to two games due to inclement weather.

Updates of Jackrabbit baseball also are available throughout the season via Twitter (@GoJacksBaseball) and through GoJacks.com.

THE SERIES: Thursday's series opener will mark the 206th meeting on the baseball diamond between SDSU and North Dakota State. In the series that dates back to 1956, the Jackrabbits hold a 125-80 lead.

Since the two programs joined The Summit League at the start of the 2008 season, the Bison hold a narrow 36-35 edge in league regular season games. NDSU won two of the three games played March 31-April 1 in a series that was moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Omaha, Nebraska.

The two squads split a March 31 doubleheader at Doc Ross Field on the Iowa Western Community College campus, with the Bison taking the opener, 10-2, and the Jackrabbits pulling out a 9-8 victory in Game 2.

Cade Feeney pitched seven strong innings for the Bison in the Game 1 victory and the Bison got a boost offensively from Peter Brookshaw, who hit a two-run home run in the third inning and added a double.

In Game 2, the Jackrabbits built a 5-0 lead through two innings thanks in large part to a grand slam by Ryan McDonald.

NDSU stormed back to tie the game at 5-all and again at 6-all behind home runs from Druw Sackett and James Dunlap. However, Thatcher Kozal's three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth proved to be the difference.

The scene shifted to Nebraska-Omaha's Tal Anderson Field for the series finale and this time the Bison came away with the one-run victory, 5-4. NDSU grabbed a 2-0 lead in the top of the first inning before the Jackrabbits responded with three in the home half of the inning, the last two runs scoring on a home run by Cade Stuff.

A two-run double by Stephen Lund in the third inning and a solo homer by Sackett in the fifth put the Bison in front 5-3. The final Jackrabbit run was courtesy of McDonald's second home run of the series, a solo shot to right-center in the bottom of the seventh.

SHORT HOPS: Following are some quick notes about the Jackrabbit baseball team heading into this week's series at North Dakota State:

Due to inclement weather and unplayable field conditions, the Jackrabbits played only one game at their home ballpark — Erv Huether Field — this season. SDSU played seven games across town at Bob Shelden Field and went 6-1 in those contests, including sweeping Summit League series from Omaha (April 14-16) and St. Thomas (April 23-24). The Jackrabbits also went 3-0 in games played in Sioux Falls, including sweeping a May 14 doubleheader from Northern Colorado.
SDSU put together an 11-game winning streak from April 9-26 that stands as the longest in program history during the Division I era (since 2005). The Jacks outscored the opposition, 119-48, and hit 31 home runs during their 11-game winning streak.
Catcher Ryan McDonald suffered a season-ending knee injury in the April 29 game at Oral Roberts. At the time of his injury, McDonald ranked second among NCAA Division I players with a .929 slugging percentage, while also ranking third in on-base percentage (.575) and 19th with 17 home runs, although he ranked eighth in home runs per game (.47).
McDonald became the first Jackrabbit player in the Division I era to record double figures for home runs (17) and stolen bases (11) in the same season. It had been 31 years since any Jackrabbit player reached those numbers, when Jon Crow (15 homers, 16 steals) and Greg Endres (10 homers, 12 steals) both accomplished the feat in 1992.
The Jackrabbits have hit six grand slams this season, with Luke Ira hitting his second of the season in Game 2 of the May 14 doubleheader versus Northern Colorado. McDonald and Nic Nelson also have hit two grand slams this season.
Nelson connected on four long balls in the May 14 doubleheader versus Northern Colorado, hitting one in the opener and three in Game 2. Nelson became the third Jackrabbit in the Summit League era (since 2008) to hit three home runs in a game, joining Joel Blake (April 24, 2009, at Western Illinois) and Landon Badger (April 24, 2009, versus North Dakota State). Nelson also doubled in Game 2 to give him 14 total bases, which stands as the most by a Jackrabbit player in a Division I game.
Reece Anderson has moved into the leadoff spot since McDonald's injury and over the last seven games has responded by batting .423 (13-for-31) with three doubles, a home run, five RBIs and nine runs scored. Anderson, who tallied three hits in a May 6 win at Purdue, added a career-high four hits in the series finale against Northern Colorado. He has reached base safely in 21 of the last 23 games.
South Dakota State hit back-to-back home runs in consecutive innings in Game 2 of their May 14 doubleheader with Northern Colorado en route to tying their season high with seven home runs in a game. Dawson Parry and Nic Nelson went back-to-back to open the third inning, while Thatcher Kozal and Reece Anderson followed suit to start the fourth inning.

PRESEASON POLL: South Dakota State has been picked to finish fourth in the 2023 Summit League baseball race, according to a poll among the league's seven head coaches that was released in mid-February.

The Jackrabbits, coached by Rob Bishop, are coming off a 2022 campaign in which they finished 22-23 overall and placed third in the Summit League standings at 13-9.

Reigning tournament champion Oral Roberts was tabbed as the favorite this season, earning six first-place votes for a total of 42 points. Defending regular season champion North Dakota State was picked second with 36 points and the remaining first-place vote, followed by Omaha with 30 points and SDSU with 24.

Rounding out the poll were St. Thomas (17), Northern Colorado (12) and Western Illinois (7).

The top four teams will advance to the Summit League Baseball Championship slated for May 24-27 in Fargo, North Dakota.

In addition, SDSU seniors Luke Ira and Ryan Bourassa were included on the list of Summit League Players and Pitchers to Watch. A shortstop from Iowa City, Iowa, Ira shared the team lead in home runs last season with 10, while batting .290 and driving in 32 runs. He also tallied a career-best .508 slugging percentage while starting all 45 of the team's games.

Bourassa was a first-team all-Summit League selection as a relief pitcher in 2022, when he posted a 2.13 earned run average and was credited with five saves. The native of West Fargo, North Dakota, logged 42 1/3 innings in 17 appearances last season, striking out 64 batters and limiting opposing hitters to a .145 batting average.

SUMMIT LEAGUE SUCCESS: South Dakota State has been a consistent winner in The Summit League since it became a league member more than a decade ago. Now in its 14th season as a member of The Summit League, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 211-171 (.552 winning percentage) record in regular season conference games. SDSU has posted a .500 or better record in league play nine times and has qualified for the four-team postseason tournament 12 out of the 13 years it has been eligible.

The Jackrabbits shared a Summit League regular season title in 2010 and won the Summit postseason tournament in 2013.

NELSON NAMED PEAK PERFORMER: South Dakota State third baseman Nic Nelson was named Monday as TicketSmarter Summit League Peak Performer of the Week, one day following a record-setting performance at the plate.

A senior from Apple Valley, Minnesota, Nelson recorded multiple hits in all three games of a weekend series against Northern Colorado, posting a .667 batting average by going 8-for-12 with four home runs, eight runs batted in and a 1.750 slugging percentage. He opened the series with a 2-for-4 afternoon at the plate, then hit four home runs in a May 14 doubleheader played in Sioux Falls.

Nelson upped his season home run total to 12 while raising his batting average to .292. He took over the team lead in RBIs with 42, tallying one Tuesday at Minnesota.

POWER SURGE: The Jackrabbits have dramatically increased their power numbers over the last two seasons, topping the 60-home run mark in both 2022 and 2023.

South Dakota State finished the 2022 season with a league-leading 62 home runs. It marked the most hit by an SDSU squad since a school-record 84 round-trippers in 2010.

Heading into the final weekend of the regular season, the Jackrabbits have exceeded their home run total from a year ago, hitting 80 home runs in 45 games, moving to within four of matching the program's single-season record. SDSU hit at least one home run in each of its first nine games this season and had an 11-game home run streak snapped in the April 23 series opener against St. Thomas. Overall, the Jacks have hit a home run in 34 of 45 contests this season, including a season-best seven homers two times.

Entering Thursday's series opener, SDSU ranks 23rd among NCAA Division I teams with an average of 1.78 home runs per game and 32nd with a .515 slugging percentage.

During the 2022 season, SDSU homered in 26 of its last 28 games, which included a school-record streak of 18 consecutive games with a homer from March 19-May 6, 2022.

All three of SDSU's players who shared the team lead with 10 home runs a year ago — Luke Ira, Ryan McDonald and Dawson Parry — returned to the lineup in 2023. McDonald (17) and Ira (13) have again reached double figures in the home runs this season, with Parry tallying eight so far in 2023.

Twelve different Jackrabbit players have homered so far this season, with freshman Matthew Werk joining the group with a two-run home run May 7 at Purdue.

McDONALD POSTS LONG STREAKS: South Dakota State's Ryan McDonald had his streak of reaching base safely end at 43 games in the March 12 series finale at Western Kentucky. — a streak that lasted more than a calendar year.

McDonald's streak of reaching base by either hit, walk or hit by pitch began when he drew a walk in the second game of a March 5, 2022, doubleheader at Central Arkansas.

Since his streak ended in a March 12 game in which the Jackrabbits were no-hit by Western Kentucky's Devyn Terbrak, McDonald started a new streak and reached base in the next 25 games until his injury, making it 68 of the last 69 games dating back to last year.

A senior from Prior Lake, Minnesota, McDonald closed the 2022 season with a 33-game streak, then extended that mark by reaching base safely in the first 10 games of 2023. His 43-game string represents the third-longest streak by a Jackrabbit player in the Division I era (since 2005), trailing a 45-game streak by Zach Coppola in 2015 and a 52-game stretch by Luke Ringhofer between the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

In earning second-team all-Summit League honors as a utility player last season, McDonald recorded team highs for batting average (.329), doubles (12), slugging percentage (.630) and on-base percentage (.446). He also shared the team lead with 10 home runs.

After splitting time at catcher, right field and designated hitter a year ago, McDonald made more of a full-time return behind the plate in 2023.

IRA THE IRON MAN: Senior shortstop Luke Ira has started 159 games in a row for the Jackrabbits, a streak that dates back to late in the 2019 season.

A native of Iowa City, Iowa, Ira has made 138 consecutive starts and a total of 140 starts at shortstop during his current streak. He also has made 17 starts at second base and two at third base.

Ira reached another career milestone when he became the 19th player in program history to record 200 career hits on April 23. His 200th hit was a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning of the second game of a doubleheader against St. Thomas.

Entering the series at North Dakota State, Ira has tallied 210 career hits, which is good for 12th place on the Jackrabbit career charts. He played his 200th career game in last weekend's series opener against Northern Colorado and made his 200th career start Tuesday at Minnesota.

In addition, Ira has vaulted from seventh to second in career assists at SDSU during the 2023 season, and has upped his career total to 455.

SOPHOMORES TAKE NEXT STEP: Four sophomore members of the Jackrabbit pitching staff have been key contributors during the 2023 season.

Jake Goble, who was sidelined by illness in the middle of the 2002 campaign, made eight relief appearances as a true freshman. The Rapid City native turned in a 1-2 record while tossing 18 innings.

Goble made four relief appearances before making seven starts since moving into the rotation in mid-March and has gone on to post a 4-2 record. A two-time Summit League Peak Pitcher of the Week this season, Goble has held opponents to a .251 batting average while sharing the team lead with 46 innings pitched so far this season.

Brady Hawkins returned from injury midway through the 2022 season to make a pair of mid-week starts and appear in two more games in relief. The Mitchell native ended that year with a 2-0 record and 2.00 earned run average while striking out nine in as many innings of work.

Hawkins has made five starts so far among his 12 appearances this season, pitching a total of 29 innings. He made two relief appearances in last weekend's series with Northern Colorado and was credited with his first victory of the season in Game 1 of the May 14 doubleheader.

Alex Clemons was a mainstay in the bullpen last season and has been a primary setup man in 2023. The right-hander from Bettendorf, Iowa, shared the team lead with 17 appearances in 2022 and fanned 24 batters in 22 2/3 innings while limiting opponents to a .222 batting average.

So far this season, Clemons picked up his first career victory in the March 5 series finale at Utah Tech and later made his first career start in the March 17 series opener against Iowa. He has helped bridge the gap by allowing only one run in his last four appearances against Summit League foes, covering 8 2/3 innings.

Left-hander Reece Arbogast also has expanded his role this season, highlighted by starts in each of the past seven weekend series. Arbogast picked up his first win of the year in the April 14 series opener against Omaha in which he pitched six-plus innings.

Arbogast turned in an impressive season debut Feb. 17, allowing only one run over 4 1/3 innings of relief against Little Rock He set a career high with seven strikeouts, then added four more K's in 2 2/3 scoreless innings March 17 versus Iowa, followed by four more shutout innings in a relief appearance in the first game of a March 24 twinbill against Northern Colorado.

The Sioux Falls native posted a 1-1 record in 16 relief appearances during his freshman campaign and averaged a strikeout in each of his 21 innings pitched.

KEY PLAYERS RETURN: Three players who missed all or most of the 2022 season due to injury have returned to the Jackrabbit lineup this season and have filled key roles. All three were granted redshirts or injury hardships and did not lose a year of eligibility.

Sophomore outfielder Jess Bellows was limited to six games before being lost for the remainder of the 2022 campaign due to a shoulder injury. Bellows got off to a hot start at the plate with a .300 batting average (6-for-20) with three doubles in the season-opening series at Little Rock, then added a .400 batting average (4-for-10) with two RBIs in a series March 17-19 against Iowa. He tied a career high with four RBIs in the Jackrabbits' April 26 win at Nebraska, then notched a career-high four hits May 14 versus Northern Colorado (Game 2).

As a freshman in 2021, Bellows batted .250 with a home run and 16 runs batted in while making 44 starts as he saw action both in the outfield and at second base.

Junior infielder Cade Stuff appeared in five games with a pair of starts before being shut down for the remainder of the 2022 season. Stuff currently is second on the team with 13 doubles and ranks fourth with a .293 batting average. He posted his first career four-hit game March 14 at Lindenwood, in which he also hit his first home run.

On the mound, junior right-hander Eli Sundquist is playing a prominent role out of the Jackrabbit bullpen this season as the team's top setup man and secondary closer. A native of Chisholm, Minnesota, Sundquist missed the entire 2022 campaign after making a combined 22 appearances during the 2020 and 2021 seasons.

Sundquist has struck out 95 batters in 61 1/3 career innings to put him neck and neck with teammate Ryan Bourassa for the highest ratio of strikeouts per nine innings pitched in program history at 13.94. Sundquist, who is limiting opponents to a .129 batting average in 2023, pitched the final 2 1/3 innings in SDSU's April 26 win at Nebraska to record his first career save.

BOURASSA CONTINUES RECORD PACE: Senior right-hander Ryan Bourassa entered 2023 as the Jackrabbits' all-time leader in strikeouts per nine innings pitched and has maintained that pace in the first months of the season.

Bourassa entered the Feb. 18 game at Little Rock with the bases loaded and one out as the Jackrabbits were clinging to a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the sixth inning. He proceeded to strike out the first two batters he faced and added five more strikeouts over the next three innings to complete the save.

In his next outing, in the second game of a March 4 doubleheader at Utah Tech, Bourassa successfully completed his second save opportunity of the season by striking out eight over three shutout innings in a 7-2 Jackrabbit victory.

In 120 1/3 career innings over three seasons, Bourassa has struck out 183 batters for an average of 13.69 K's per nine innings. That rate is nearly two strikeouts per complete game better than the nearest Jackrabbit pitcher — former teammate Bret Barnett with a ratio of 11.88 K's per nine innings.

The right-hander moved into the SDSU top 10 for career strikeouts in his April 7 outing at Western Illinois. Bourassa now stands in fifth place in career strikeouts after breaking a tie with Layne Somsen (180 K's from 2009-13) earlier this month.

Bourassa also holds two of the top three single-season ratios in program history. He began his Jackrabbit career in the starting rotation in 2021 and fanned 65 batters in only 42 1/3 innings that year to set an SDSU single-season record with an average of 13.82 K's per nine innings pitched. His rate so far this season is 13.63 K's per nine frames.

The native of West Fargo, North Dakota, made a full-time transition to the bullpen in 2022 and nearly equaled his previous totals with 64 strikeouts in another 42 1/3 innings for a ratio of 13.61 strikeouts per nine innings, which stands third in program history.

In addition, Bourassa moved into a tie for fourth place on the SDSU career saves chart with his 14th save in the Jackrabbits' 7-6 victory over Northern Colorado on May 14. That tied him with Gary Olechoski (14 saves from 2003-06).

Bourassa turned in the best performance of his SDSU career March 25, 2022, at Oral Roberts as he tossed six shutout innings of relief, notching a career-high 12 strikeouts. He fanned the side in order in both the eighth and 11th innings, and allowed only one hit and one walk for a Jackrabbit squad that eventually dropped a 5-4 decision in 14 innings.

KUNZ EARNS OPENING DAY START: Senior right-hander Blake Kunz was tabbed as the Jackrabbits' Opening Day starter, bringing further attention to a meteoric rise on the mound for the former SDSU football player.

A native of Germantown, Wisconsin, Kunz made only one appearance last season after being a late addition to the baseball roster.

In his first career start, Feb. 17 at Little Rock, Kunz pitched only an inning-plus and was saddled with the loss. All three of the outs he recorded were via the strikeout, but he was charged with seven runs — the first three via a three-run home run — after giving up two hits, walking two batters and hitting four.

Kunz tossed four shutout, no-hit innings in his second start of the season March 5 in the series finale at Utah Tech, then added 4 2/3 innings of two-run baseball March 12 at Western Kentucky. He notched his first collegiate victory after tossing five innings with five strikeouts May 6 at Purdue, then logged career bests of 6 2/3 innings and eight strikeouts in a losing effort May 13 versus Northern Colorado. He currently shares the team lead with 46 innings pitched and ranks second with 52 strikeouts.

Kunz previously played tight end for three seasons (2018-2020) for the Jackrabbit football team, seeing action in 34 games. He tallied 32 receptions for 528 yards (16.5 ypr) with six touchdowns, the last of which was a 14-yarder against Delaware in the Football Championship Subdivision national semifinals against Delaware in the spring of 2021 as SDSU advanced to the FCS title game for the first time in program history.

GRUNZKE ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT: The 2023 season marks one final trip around the bases for Jackrabbit assistant coach Brian Grunzke, who announced he will retire at the conclusion of the current campaign.

Grunzke has coached at South Dakota State since 2012, serving under head coaches Dave Schrage and Rob Bishop, and has coached collegiately for 40 years. He has served as the team's third-base coach and recruiting coordinator throughout his tenure.

Overall, Grunzke has been a part of 271 victoies with the Jackrabbits and helped guide the team to a Summit League tournament title and NCAA Tournament berth in 2013.

Grunzke served as head coach at Waldorf University (Iowa) for 16 seasons from 1990-2005, compiling a 388-344-1 record in leading the Warriors to eight appearances in the NJCAA Region 11 finals. He also served coaching stints at Arkansas-Little Rock, Northern Iowa and Illinois-Springfield.

COACH BISHOP: Rob Bishop, who has guided college baseball teams to more than 600 victories, was named head baseball coach at South Dakota State University on Aug. 1, 2016. Bishop is the ninth head coach in program history and the fourth in the Division I era of Jackrabbit baseball.

Through six-plus seasons with the Jackrabbits, Bishop holds a 135-169 record at SDSU, including an 85-72 mark in Summit League regular season games. He recorded his 100th win with the Jackrabbits on April 3, 2022, as SDSU posted a 2-1 victory at St. Thomas.

In his first season, Bishop's 2017 squad returned to the winning side of the ledger with a 26-24 overall mark, including an 18-12 record for a third-place finish in The Summit League standings. SDSU won its opening-round game in the Summit League Baseball Championship, 6-5, over second-seeded North Dakota State.

In 2018, SDSU overcame a slow start to post a winning record in Summit League play at 14-13 and went on to reach the title game of the Summit League Baseball Championship. The Jackrabbits finished with an 18-32 overall record during a campaign in which they played only six home games.

SDSU bounced back in 2019, posting a 28-22 overall record that included a second-place mark of 19-10 in Summit League play. The Jackrabbits won or split nine of the 10 league series in regular season play en route to making an appearance in the four-team Summit League Baseball Championship for the 10th time in 11 years.

The 2020 season was canceled just before the start of Summit League play, with SDSU posting a 5-12 record in the first month of the season. The Jackrabbits recorded wins at Minnesota, Air Force and Kansas State the final week of the pandemic-shortened campaign.

When play resumed in the spring of 2021, the Jackrabbits posted a 15-32 overall record and suffered their first losing season in league play since 2016, but managed to earn the fourth and final spot in the Summit League Baseball Championship.

SDSU used a powerful offense to return to the Summit League tournament in 2022 after posting a 13-9 record in league play. The Jackrabbits, who doubled up the opposition in home runs by a 62-30 count, played only 12 home games in posting a 22-23 overall mark.

Overall, Bishop holds a 684-491-1 record (.582 winning percentage) as a collegiate head coach. He earned his 600th career victory in the Jackrabbits' 8-6 victory at Little Rock on March 10, 2019.

Individually, Jackrabbit players have been honored as all-Summit League performers 25 times during Bishop's tenure, including eight all-league selections in 2019. Utility player Nick Smith was honored for the third consecutive season, while shortstop Gus Steiger and starting pitcher Tyler Olmstead were repeat selections in 2019.

In addition, Bishop has mentored a handful of Jackrabbit players who have pursued professional careers. Catcher Luke Ringhofer was selected in the 22nd round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Draft by the Baltimore Orioles and relief pitcher Chris Halbur was offered a free agent contract by the Los Angeles Dodgers after Bishop's first season in Brookings. Steiger signed with the Cincinnati Reds following an abbreviated 2020 MLB Draft. In 2019, left-handed pitcher Brady Stover was a 31st-round pick of the Washington Nationals, but opted to return to the Jackrabbits for his senior season.

Prior to becoming head coach at SDSU, Bishop spent six years at NCAA Division II member Montana State University-Billings, where he led the Yellowjackets to back-to-back Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular season titles in 2015 and 2016, attaining the program's first-ever 30-win season with a 30-20 record in 2016.

Previously, Bishop spent 10 years at Miles City Community College in Montana, where his teams won MonDak conference championships every year. His squads also claimed five consecutive junior college region titles and a Northwest District championship in 2007 to advance to the NJCAA Division II College World Series.

Bishop's teams won at least 30 games in all 10 seasons, including four with 40 wins. He ended his tenure at Miles City with a 377-151 overall record.

He also served as athletic director the last five years of his tenure at Miles City.

Bishop served as a graduate assistant at SDSU under head coach Mark Ekeland during the 1998 and 1999 seasons. In his first year as a head coach, Bishop led Huron University to the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference title in 2000 with a 38-18 record.

A 1994 graduate of Jamestown College, Bishop earned NAIA All-America honors during the 1992 and 1994 seasons as an infielder.

THE ROSTER: The 2022 SDSU baseball roster features 37 players from nine different states and one Canadian province. Of the 37 players, 12 are from Minnesota, six are from both South Dakota and Iowa, and five hail from Nebraska. Two players are from Montana and North Dakota, while Colorado, Utah, Wisconsin and Ontario are represented by one player each.

By class, eight are seniors and even are juniors, while the sophomore and freshman classes are each made up of 11 players.

A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits will return to Fargo to play in the four-team 2023 Summit League Baseball Championship May 24-27 at Newman Outdoor Field. Pairings and game times for the double-elimination tournament will be announced following the conclusion of regular season play on Saturday.

-GoJacks.com-